JMC - a concept album

I realize that by the early 70s, the idea of of doing a concept album [[like Sam Cooke, CW&P or Funny Girl) was fading. Artists were using their main albums as concepts

But if JMC were to have tackled some sort of concept lp, what would it have been?

soundtrack to Jesus Christ Superstar? what about Jean doing a CW&P collection that actually had legit country songs on it?

Seems like nearly all of the fans really liked and appreciated the JMC combo. so what music would you have liked them to tackle?

haha - i'm gonna be first to answer my own thread. lol nearly as bad as "liking" your own Facebook post :p

What about instead of the rather blah duet albums with the Tops, the combined group did:

The Magnificent Seven sings Jesus Christ Superstar? or Hair? or Godspell?

the endless covers and rather MOR arrangements made much of the sup/top duets rather ho-hum. But what about giving them a project to tackle?

I prefer them doing their own stuff.
Didn't need Broadway. Motown had them do Miss the man ......not a favorite.
I would have preferred more digging into Promises Kept

yeah but SOME broadway was very popular. Hair [[back in late 60s) was everywhere. it wasn't boring Broadway like Sweet Charity or Mame

and JCSS was so big too. lolol my parents were just out of college and had a "listening" party with friends lol

I agree that MOR concepts wouldn't have been appropriate. but maybe something else

I would not have had JMC, or JML, tackling Broadway, including the then current hip Broadway productions. If I were going to give them a concept album and it wasn't New Ways with a Love theme, it would be something like Laura Nyro and Labelle's Gonna Take A Miracle album. I would've had them doing their takes on some classics from the 50s and early 60s, but with an early 70s sound, like how the 3 Degrees did "Maybe". I think the material would've been fun, both for the ladies and the listeners, and it would've easily lent itself to an all around group sound. I could even hear Cindy doing a lead.

I also like the idea of a Country Soul album. I think Jean would've shined on that.

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Originally Posted by RanRan79

I would not have had JMC, or JML, tackling Broadway, including the then current hip Broadway productions. If I were going to give them a concept album and it wasn't New Ways with a Love theme, it would be something like Laura Nyro and Labelle's Gonna Take A Miracle album. I would've had them doing their takes on some classics from the 50s and early 60s, but with an early 70s sound, like how the 3 Degrees did "Maybe". I think the material would've been fun, both for the ladies and the listeners, and it would've easily lent itself to an all around group sound. I could even hear Cindy doing a lead.

I also like the idea of a Country Soul album. I think Jean would've shined on that.

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i definitely think a "concept" album that simply was a guest producer would have been a good idea - provided it's the RIGHT producer. Laura definitely could have worked but we see the disaster of Jimmy Webb. And i even think some of the Stevie stuff [[the little we've heard) isn't the strongest material ever recorded by Jean. the Supremes needed a producer that had a keen ear for working with a GROUP. not just a soloist. After the initial [[and wonderful) frank wilson material, the group needed to continue to evolve as a group. Their practice of random studio singers doing backups needed to end. M and C needed to participate more in the music.

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

i definitely think a "concept" album that simply was a guest producer would have been a good idea - provided it's the RIGHT producer. Laura definitely could have worked but we see the disaster of Jimmy Webb. And i even think some of the Stevie stuff [[the little we've heard) isn't the strongest material ever recorded by Jean. the Supremes needed a producer that had a keen ear for working with a GROUP. not just a soloist. After the initial [[and wonderful) frank wilson material, the group needed to continue to evolve as a group. Their practice of random studio singers doing backups needed to end. M and C needed to participate more in the music.

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I wouldn't have chosen Laura. Thom Bell would be #1 for me if we're going outside of Motown. There's probably very little chance Barry White would've worked with any competing female group to his Love Unlimited, but Jean's voice and Barry's soulful orchestra tunes would've been an interesting pairing.

How about a Motown themed album? :p

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Originally Posted by TomatoTom123

How about a Motown themed album? :p

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Yeah, that's another good concept. There were a ton of classic Motown cuts recorded by non Motown artists during the 70s, so the Supremes doing a cover album might have worked. Maybe.

My second thought would be to finish the Stevie wonder project....
And the return of Frank Wilson.....love train sessions

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Originally Posted by RanRan79

Yeah, that's another good concept. There were a ton of classic Motown cuts recorded by non Motown artists during the 70s, so the Supremes doing a cover album might have worked. Maybe.

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LOL, I just meant leave the concept album alone and record some good ol in-house Motown songs. :D

Well, we know they recorded songs by Carole King, Laura Nyro, and Joni Mitchell during the Jean years, as well as performing "We've Only Just Begun" in their live act. I think some sort of folk/singer/songwriter concept album would have suited JMC.

This is just off the top of my head for fun.

Side A:
1. Where You Lead
2. We've Only Just Begun
3. Me & Bobby McGee
4. Bad Moon Rising [[Mary lead)
5. Superstar
6. And When I Die
Side B:
7. I Am A Rock
8. Fire & Rain
9. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
10. Both Sides Now [[Mary, Cindy, Jean leads)
11. Leaving On A Jet Plane

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Originally Posted by daviddh

My second thought would be to finish the Stevie wonder project....
And the return of Frank Wilson.....love train sessions

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Obviously completing the Stevie album should have been a priority. I never really think about re-pairing the group with Frank, but that makes a lot of sense, especially considering how the group faltered without him [[Smokey album being the exception). Perhaps Frank was to the Supremes what HDH had been to the 60s lineups. One has to wonder if the 70s groupings would have had continued success if they worked with Frank uninterrupted.

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Originally Posted by TomatoTom123

LOL, I just meant leave the concept album alone and record some good ol in-house Motown songs. :D

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Sure, that would've worked. But from an artistic standpoint, I like when artists do albums around a concept, whether it be a particular sound or a theme or whatever.